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Louis and Emory Upton founded the Upton Machine Company on November 11, 1911. With the financial aid of Lowell Bassford, they began to produce electric, motor-driven wringer washers. Soon after its founding, Lou Upton's younger brother Fred joined the company and was an integral part of the business.

Federal Electric ordered 100 machines, but a gear failed in the transmission of them. Louis Upton immediately replaced them at no cost to Federal Electric, who were so impressed with Upton's ethics, they immediately doubled their order.

1916

Sears, Roebuck & Co. began selling Upton manufactured machines under the "Allen" brand, one for $54.75 and a deluxe model for $95.

Acquires Seeger Refrigerator Company and RCA's air conditioner and cooking range lines including ownership of RCA's Estate brand name. Company changes its name to Whirlpool-Seeger Corporation and began using the RCA-Whirlpool brand name until the mid-1960s. Whirlpool acquires appliance division from International Harvester Company.

Location closings in La Vergne, Tenn; Reynosa, Mexico; and Oxford, Miss. Later the announcement of Dishwasher plant in Jackson, TN to close in August 2009

2009

Whirlpool acquired WC Woods from Bankruptcy [7] and closed the company's Evansville, Indiana plant;[8] Whirlpool has received $19.3 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding as part of its Smart Grid Investment Grant program [9]

2010

Whirlpool announced plans for its 100th Anniversary in 2011 and unveiled its 100th Anniversary logo as well as an updated corporate logo. The celebrations shall take place in Benton Harbor, Michigan on 11/11/11.[10]

Also, took over former KarstadtQuelle brand Privileg from Otto Group.[11]

2011

Whirlpool announces the closure of the Fort Smith, Arkansas plant. Production of built-in refrigerators will shift to Amana, Iowa. Production of trash compactors will shift to Ottawa, Ohio. Production of the reduced, declining volumes of side-by-side refrigerators will be accommodated within current excess capacity in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico where employment levels will remain flat to negative.[12]

2012

Whirlpool opens a new manufacturing plant in Cleveland, Tennessee replacing a 123-year-old facility. The $200 million project added about 130 jobs to an established workforce of 1,500. The 1-million-square-foot (93,000 m2) facility manufactures premium cooking appliances for Whirlpool's portfolio of brands. The project also includes a distribution center.[13]

2013

In August, Whirlpool announced it would acquire a 51% majority stake in China’s Hefei Sanyo (a joint venture between Japan's Sanyo Electric Co, now a unit of Panasonic Corp, and Hefei State-Owned Assets Holding Company Ltd, the investment arm of the local state government) for $552 million and give the company leverage to expand in the Chinese appliance market.[14]

2014

In July, Whirlpool announced it has agreed to pay 758 million euros ($1 billion) to buy a 60 percent stake in Italian rival Indesit to further expand beyond its U.S. home market.[15]

2014

In December, Whirlpool completed a successful mandatory tender offer for the remaining shares and delisted Indesit from the Milan Stock Exchange. Indesit is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Italia Holdings S.r.l.[16]

Whirlpool Corporation has seven employee-run diversity networks that are involved with business, employee, and community projects to address the needs of the groups they represent. These diversity networks are The Women's Network (TWN), the Native American Network (NAN), the Whirlpool African American Network (WAAN), The Pride Network (PRIDE), the Whirlpool Asian Community (WAC), the Whirlpool Hispanic Network (WHN), and the Young Professionals Network (YP).

In 2004, Whirlpool received a 100% rating on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) released by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equal rights organization Human Rights Campaign. At the time, Whirpool was the first and only major appliance manufacturer to be awarded a perfect score.[17] To date, Whirlpool Corporation has achieved a perfect CEI score for 11 consecutive years.[18] Notably, Whirlpool has offered domestic partner benefits since 2002 and has been a corporate leader nationwide on LGBT issues. Additionally, Whirlpool was the first appliance maker to feature same-sex families in its advertising in the United States.[19]

Whirlpool Corporation is a principal supporter of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building low-cost, affordable housing. The company's commitment to Habitat for Humanity has exceeded $34 million and it has donated more than 73,000 appliances for Habitat homes. The company plans to support every Habitat home built globally by 2011, either through product donations, cash, or home sponsorship.[20]

In November 2006, Whirlpool started the annual Building Blocks program, designed to raise awareness and help eliminate substandard housing in the United States. Each year the program recognizes an outstanding U.S. Habitat for Humanity affiliate and its relationship with its local community by holding a week-long build in the affiliate’s community. The program kicked off in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006 when Whirlpool united 100 local residents with 100 Whirlpool employees and volunteers from 100 Habitat affiliates. These 300 volunteers built 10 homes on one block from Nov. 5–10, 2006. Whirlpool built nine homes near Phoenix, Arizona, in May 2007, and nine more homes in Dallas, Texas in October 2008. The 2009 build is set to begin August 31 in Atlanta, Georgia.[21]

In 2006, more than 20 Whirlpool India employees participated in the week-long Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) in India, which resulted in the completion of 100 homes in a village near Mumbai. In 2005, Whirlpool India began a partnership with Habitat for Humanity India. Volunteers from Whirlpool participated in the build organized by Habitat for Tsunami victims in the southern part of India.

In June 2005, Habitat for Humanity held its annual Jimmy Carter Work Project in Benton Harbor, Michigan. This week-long effort culminating in the completion of more than 230 houses in Michigan. Whirlpool was the lead sponsor for the build and 270 Whirlpool employees from 19 nations worked together to build 10 houses during the week.

To facilitate Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Whirlpool worked with Habitat to support “Operation Home Delivery.” Whirlpool employees helped construct approximately 50 pre-built homes in New York’s Rockefeller Center that were boxed and shipped to Louisiana and Mississippi and later erected with the help of Whirlpool employees in St. Tamany Parrish, Louisiana. In January 2007, Whirlpool chose to hold its annual sales meeting in New Orleans. As part of that meeting, more than 1,000 Whirlpool employees spent one day volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in an effort to continue rebuilding New Orleans’ residential areas.

Since 2004, Whirlpool has sponsored entertainment icon Reba McEntire’s music tours to raise awareness and more than $500,000 for Habitat for Humanity.

Cook for the Cure: Cook for the Cure presented by KitchenAid, was created in 2001 to give passionate cooks a way to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Cook for the Cure has raised more than $4 million through donation-with-purchase programs, special fundraising events, auctions and grass roots initiatives. KitchenAid also supports breast cancer foundations in other countries including Canada, France, Germany, South Africa, Greece and Israel.

Whirlpool also manufactures certain appliances under the Kenmore label, (manufactured for Sears Holdings Corporation) and Crosley top load washers. Whirlpool has expanded the marketing of Inglis appliances which are sold in the United States at Best Buy stores. Whirlpool also manufactures IKEA brand appliances for IKEA, Top Load laundry for Crosley and Admiral appliances for Home Depot.